ISLAMABAD: The ministries of defence, and interior as well as the district administration have challenged the verdict of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in an enforced disappearance case.

The court in its order declared enforced disappearance an act of terrorism and also imposed a fine on the defence and interior secretaries, chief commissioner, inspector general of police Islamabad and other authorities.

A division bench of the IHC would take up the intra-court appeals against the verdict of Justice Athar Minallah next week.

The appeals have been filed by the federal government and local administration.

Justice Minallah on July 11 declared that the ‘enforced disappearance’ creates terror among society therefore persons involved in abducting citizen and keeping them at unknown place may be charged under Anti Terrorism Act.

The learned judge made the judgment on the petition filed by Mahera Sajid, wife of missing IT expert Sajid Mehmood.

On March 14, 2016, around a dozen men wearing masks came in two “double cabins” and forcefully entered Mr Mehmood’s house in Sector F-10 and abducted him. The court also held certain government functionaries responsible for failing in retrieving the missing person and imposed fines on them.

Besides, the court expressed displeasure over the performance of spy agencies – Inter Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau – and directed the federal government to bear monthly expenses of the family of missing IT expert.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2018